Frankley Reservoir
Encyclopedia
Frankley Reservoir is a semi-circular reservoir
for drinking water
in Birmingham
, England. Its construction was authorised by the Birmingham Corporation Water Act of 1892. It was built by Birmingham Corporation Water Department
to designs by Abram Kellett of Ealing in 1904.
It contains 900000 cubic metres (197,972,323.5 imp gal) of water received from the Elan Valley Reservoirs
, 73 mi (117 km) away, in Wales
, which arrives via the Elan aqueduct
, by the power of gravity alone, dropping 171 feet (52.1 m) - an average gradient of 1 in 2,300.
Before 1987 it was leaking 540 litres (118.8 imp gal) per second. In that year Ground-penetrating radar
was used successfully to isolate the leaks.
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
for drinking water
Drinking water
Drinking water or potable water is water pure enough to be consumed or used with low risk of immediate or long term harm. In most developed countries, the water supplied to households, commerce and industry is all of drinking water standard, even though only a very small proportion is actually...
in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England. Its construction was authorised by the Birmingham Corporation Water Act of 1892. It was built by Birmingham Corporation Water Department
Birmingham Corporation Water Department
The Birmingham Corporation Water Department was responsible for the supply of water to Birmingham from 1876 to 1974. It was also known as Birmingham Corporation Waterworks Department.-Early History 1808 - 1876:...
to designs by Abram Kellett of Ealing in 1904.
It contains 900000 cubic metres (197,972,323.5 imp gal) of water received from the Elan Valley Reservoirs
Elan Valley Reservoirs
The Elan Valley Reservoirs are a chain of man-made lakes and reservoirs in the Elan Valley in Powys, Mid Wales , using the rivers Elan and Claerwen...
, 73 mi (117 km) away, in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, which arrives via the Elan aqueduct
Elan aqueduct
The Elan aqueduct, crosses Wales and the Midlands of England, running eastwards from the Elan Valley Reservoirs in Powys to Birmingham's Frankley Reservoir, carrying drinking water for Birmingham....
, by the power of gravity alone, dropping 171 feet (52.1 m) - an average gradient of 1 in 2,300.
Before 1987 it was leaking 540 litres (118.8 imp gal) per second. In that year Ground-penetrating radar
Ground-penetrating radar
Ground-penetrating radar is a geophysical method that uses radar pulses to image the subsurface. This nondestructive method uses electromagnetic radiation in the microwave band of the radio spectrum, and detects the reflected signals from subsurface structures...
was used successfully to isolate the leaks.
See also
- List of reservoirs and dams in the United Kingdom
- Frankley Water Treatment WorksFrankley Water Treatment WorksSevern Trent Water's Frankley Water Treatment Works at Frankley, Birmingham, England, supplies drinking water to Birmingham and the surrounding area. The plant treats water from the Elan Valley in Wales, which arrives at Frankley Reservoir by gravity feed along the Elan aqueduct with a gradient of...